John l



CL W. LASSERRE.

BROAD GAGE ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3011916.

1 ,3 1 3, 3 94 Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

I T f ill J!!! W Y IIVVEIVTOR GkaI-Zes ifzasswm ATTORNEY c'rmntns w. LASSERRE, or seamen stomps.

BROAD-GAGE ATTACHMENT. on VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 19,1919,

7 Application filed. September 30, 1916. Serial No. 123,059.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES W. LASSERRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fernandina, in the county of Nassau and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Broad-Gage Attachments for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to anattachment for increasing or broadening the gage of automobiles and similar vehicles, and has among its objects the provision of an attachment of the character described which may be quickly and easily installed; which may be a manufactured and marketed at a price withthe coupling, and

in the reach of all owners of such vehicles, which makes for maximum strength and durability; and which secures a marked reduction of the strain and wear imposed upon the component parts employed in the organization of the device.

The invention will be best understood in connection with the accompanying drawings which, merely for the purposes of 1llustration, show the particular form of the 1nvention which I at this time regard as preferable of the various forms in which my invention may be embodied.

In said drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the application of the invention to the front axle of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a detailed perspective vlew of Fig. 3 is a central sectional view illustrating the manner of carrying out the invention with respect to the rear construction of an automobile.

Broadly, the invention comprehends the interposition of an extension coupling between the adjacent terminals of the mam and stub axles for increasing the gage of the front wheels, and the employment of a combined spacing element and hub between the brake drum and spokes forbroadenmg the gage of the rear wheels.

Referring more partlcularly to thedraw ings, 5 indicates the mainfront axle having the yoke or fork 6 with ears 7. 8 is the stub axle structure. comprising a spindle}? carrying a wheel 10, a vertical sleeve 11 and a' pivot bolt 12. Steering mechanism may be articulated relative the ear 1 3 of the hub 11 in any well known. way, 1n fact, all of the foregoing parts are of conventlonal type.

; 'Between'the yoke and stub-axle I inter posea bracket which consists specifically of a vertically elongated coupling 14 carrying a pair of terminally disposed eyes 15 and an oppositely arranged bifurcated extension 16. 'Ihe coupling 14 is rigidly secured to the ears 7 by the bolt 17 and nuts 18, while the stub-axle structure is freely movable in a horizontal plane on the bolt 12 sustained by the ears 15. The bifurcated extension 16 straddles the fork 6 and a portion of the extremity of the main axle-beam at which latter point it is secured by set screws 19.

Inattaching the coupling, it is simply necessary to disconnect the stub axle, conneet the eyes 15 of the coupling to the stub axle and thentighten up on the set screws 19. When complete, the'coupling will be equally as eflicient as the original connection, thoroughly and ositively braced against thrusts of any 0 aracter, and devoid of any complicated parts. vantageous construction, combined with the added feature of securing an increase in the gage of the wheels, dependent, of course, upon the distance between the axial centers of the elongated coupling 14 and sleeve 11, constitutes a very valuable and much needed automobile accessory.

By virtue of the difference in arrangement and construction of the rear construction, it is necessary to use another type of device to effect a change in the gage of these wheels. drawings, this device embodies a unitary spacing element 20 and a reduced hub portion 21, fastened between the spokes 22 and the brake drum 22. by bolts 23. The spokes rest firmly in the seat or shoulder formed in Such ad- .90 As shown in Fig. 3 of the 1. In an attachment for increasing the gage of'automobiles and similar vehicles, a main axle having a forked extremity, a deflected coupling member immovably fixed between the forked portions of said extrernity, and a stub-axle mounted wholly lgetween the deflected portions of said memer.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a main axle havin a forked extremity, a bifurcated coupling 2 e I s v U I 1 3 94 member fixed between the forked portions. 7 In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my 0f saic% extremiltly find hxglinghatits bas gla signature, the presenceof two Witnesses.

all 0 arms W ic "stra' et em'a'in'a' e, 1 r

%eans carried by said. armsior engaging r A LASSERRE said axle at a point inwardly of the forked v Witnesses: 7

extremity and a stub axle carriedby saidr JOHN L. BENNETT,

memberi K. AIMCDONELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addiessing the Commissioner of Patents,-

- 1 Washington, D. 0. 

